by Adeola Balogun

Despite the order of a court reinstating him to his position as National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former Osun State governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola is still being left in limbo.

Oyinlola, a member of the breakaway faction of the PDP,was in fact suspended instead of being reinstated by the main party.

The former governor has finally said his piece concerning the developments in this interview with Bode Gbadebo of Leadership.

Excerpts below:

You said you remain the undisputed National Secretary of PDP, when are you resuming and where would you be operating from?

I want say that with regards to the resumption of duty, I made it abundantly clear in my speech that I am a law-abiding citizen. I did not get the court order until Monday, which I called my counsel to pass on to respective action addresses which including the Secretariat at Wadata Plaza. I did that so that the process of peace and harmony in our party can further be enhanced because if you say you are law abiding, you must be able to process your actions through legal means.

Having received the court order and dispatched to various action addresses, I want to say that the delivery at Wadata Plaza was not accepted. I only did that to fulfill all righteousness. The people in Wadata cannot claim to be ignorant of what happened at the Appeal Court because their counsel was present at the delivery of the judgement. It was to fulfill all righteousness so that all those who are claiming to be upholding the process of law, the whole world will be able to judge who is moving with impunity and who is moving in accordance with the dictates of the law.

There is one headquarters and that is where I will be working. I was removed from an office in Wadata and the Court of Appeal has said go back to your office, so no problem in going back to Wadata Plaza when it pleases Bamanga Tukur to let peace reign in our party.

What people are saying is on the letter you wrote to INEC on behalf of the New PDP claiming that you are the Secretary of the breakaway faction and it was placed as an advert in a national daily. How do you now reconcile that with your new position as directed by the Appeal Court?

On the divide, it is allowed in our constitution, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is recognized that there could be division in a party and I once had an opportunity of stating a theory in one of the moves to resolve the problem in the party. I think we were summoned to the State House and I told them nobody wants to be part of any rancor within a party.

You will recollect that ten of us within the NWC held a meeting where we distanced ourselves from the act of impunity that was committed by our chairman on the issue of Adamawa and when we got to the meeting where our leaders were present. I told them, I said look we are applying one theory that I got from my five-year-old grand-daughter and they asked me why.

Yes! I was together with my wife and we left her upstairs, then we heard a very loud scream and thought some harm has come to her. My wife dashed upstairs and there was my five-year-old grand-daughter hand akimbo. Mimi what happened, she said nothing. Why did you have to scream? She said I called grandpa, no answer, I called grandma, no answer, so I screamed just to draw attention. I said so that’s what you have done. You have been complaining of things, now that we screamed we have been called and it was resolved.

The moment this judgement came up, I said oh! Thanks be to God, this is a window of opportunity to further the process of reconciliation within our party. It is one opportunity that Bamanga Tukur is letting to slip off his fingers and it is sad. When I was removed in January like I told you, I was the one that called Bamanga Tukur because I remember I was in court and I called him, this is what has happened in the court and he said ooh okay, we shall see what we would do about it.

The next thing what he would do about it was to swear-in my deputy, it is normal. In the absence of the Secretary, that’s why he is the deputy national secretary, he must continue the work of the secretary and that was exactly what happened. So like my soldiers used to say when I was in service, whatever is good for the geese is good for gizzard, that’s what they always told me.

If can, without waiting for the order of the court or a copy because the man was sworn the same day, because I told him personally, he heard from the news media that I have been removed and he went ahead. What stopped him from calling me if he really wants peace in our party? What stopped him saying Oyinlola okay, this is what we have been waiting for, continue your work? I don’t need any swearing-in, I have been sworn-in since March last year. It is a court action that removed me and another court action has put me back. Only for them to say suspension is the next way out.

Talking about the judgement of the Appeal Court, if Bamanga Tukur refuses to comply, what happens?

Well, whereby they refuse to comply with the judgement of the court, my legal team will advise on the next line of action. It is a superior court, if you are not satisfied, then go to the Supreme Court. For them to say they have appealed, they are pursuing stay of execution, I did the same thing. Immediately I appealed and filed stay of execution, I was not allowed to return to the office.

They can file whatever they want to file, until judgement is given to nullify the potent one, the standing one, I remain the secretary and I must be allowed to perform my duties because anything being done in the name of secretary without my signature is absolutely illegal and we will face the legal test at the court.